CERT warning - not our fault
THE UNITED STATES Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has prepared a report for the government that claims that fewer vulnerabilities were found in Windows than in Linux/Unix operating systems in 2005.
Cert included under the Linux umbrella Mac OS X, as well as the various Linux distributions and flavours of Unix. It claimed that the Unix camp had more than twice as many vulnerabilities as Windows.
The Cyber Security Bulletin 2005, said that out of 5,198 reported flaws, 812 were Windows operating system vulnerabilities, while 2,328 were Unix/Linux operating bugs.
The remaining 2,058 were multiple operating system vulnerabilities. It is possible to hear the sounds of the provisional wing of the Linux and Apple glee clubs strapping cyber explosives to their belts at the announcement.
It seems that the figures prove the impression of many in the security industry that the only reason Windows boxes get turned over the most is because there are more of them. CERT's figures did not include figures for how quickly vulnerabilities are patched once they are discovered. You can have a look at the report
here. And flame CERT not us.
The INQuirer